Despite the delivery of a variety of new and improved smartphone models, the Android experience is still straggling behind Apple's iPhone, particularly in the area of its App Store.

To address the shortcomings of Android Market, Google has announced plans to roll out a new store client app for all smartphones running Android OS 1.6 or higher. The new version of the store plans to make it easier to discover software and facilitate sales.

The new store uses a Cover Flow-like browsable control for flipping through app icons (shown below), and plans to add new categories for popular types of content, including Live Wallpapers and Widgets, which make up a large portion of the Android app catalog.

Also like Apple's App Store, Android Market app listings will now present a variety of information about the apps on a single page and include links to related content. Google's update adds, "were also introducing application content rating to provide users with more information about applications they are interested in."

Android Market is also changing its policy on software returns, which has long been a thorn in the side of developers trying to release commercial products, rather than just the ad supported titles that Google favors. Instead of allowing users to instantly refund any purchase made within 24 hours, buyers will now only have 15 minutes to decide they don't want an app.

To address the hardware fragmentation issues inherent in running Android apps across a variety of different hardware designs, Google also announced plans to "make it easier for developers to distribute and manage their products" by introducing "support for device targeting based on screen sizes and densities, as well as on GL texture compression formats."

App size restrictions

Finally, in order to make it possible for developers to offer more interesting games, Google will be relaxing its limit on app files sizes sold through Android Market to 50MB, up from a previous limit of 25MB. Some Android developers skirt this limitation by delivering a tiny app that can download resources (such as music and graphics) to the phone after purchase.

Apple's limit for iOS app downloads is 40 times larger. Many games already weigh in at 125MB (Sega's early SuperMonkey Ball from 2008), 150-300MB (including titles such as Firemint's Real Racing HD and Gameloft's Modern Combat: Sandstorm) or even more than 300MB, such as latest Infinity Blade. TomTom's iOS GPS app, which includes maps for the US and Canada, is nearly 2GB, the limit Apple has established for iOS titles.

Apple can accommodate large software sizes because iOS apps don't exclusively rely upon over the air installation as Android Market apps do. While mobile providers can limit the download size of apps that are delivered over the mobile network (typically set at around 20MB), Apple allows users to get big apps from iTunes directly via WiFi or by syncing with iTunes. Google offers no desktop application version of Android Market, nor even a web version that supports downloads. This results in more difficult development and distribution for companies trying to port apps to Android.

Gaming on Android

None of the large games previously mentioned for the iOS are available via Android Market (although there are unauthorized "themes" available in Android Market named "Super Monkey Ball" and "Modern Combat." Of the top iOS apps listed by Apple for 2010, only three are available for Android: "Angry Birds," "Fruit Ninja" and "Doodle Jump," although you can download a "Plants vs Zombies" or "Cut the Rope" theme and find knockoff adware pretending to be the App Store's popular "Hipstamatic" photography app.

Last year, gaming legend John Carmack told CNBC that while he was excited about the prospects of the iPhone, "I have mixed feelings about Android. I've got a warm feeling about the open source model, but a lot of the things that make Linux not-so-wonderful seem to be there in Android. On the iPhone, you know everyone on that device [has the same functionality and hardware], while on Android, youre across the board on a number of different things."

Carmack added, "the [Android] marketplace is also apparently not well handled. And from what I hear, nobodys making a lot of money on these [Android titles]. Ten days ago, Carmack reiterated his view of the Android platform in interview with Ars Technica, where he said, "The official word here is that we are definitely going to get some games compiled on the Android platform, but we are not yet committed to selling something on the Marketplace. Because I'm honestly still a little scared of the support burden and the effort that it's going to take for our products, which are very graphics-intensive."

Carmack explained that "the iOS platform has really been a pleasure to work on compared to all of the... half of the reason for us ditching the old feature phones was that it was so much more pleasant to develop for iOS. And I fear that we would be slipping back into some of that quagmire on the Android side of things. [] There's a lot of things that happen automagically for us on iOS that we'll have to deal with particularly on the Android space. And that's not a lot of work that's going to be huge heaps of fun to do. It's going to be dreary, tedious work that I would certainly push on somebody else personally, but I'm not sure that even as a company it's something that we want to be involved in."

This summer, Jon Lech Johansen (aka DVD Jon), the developer of DoubleTwist, a desktop Mac and Windows app that provides Android with a third party option for media sync and desktop Android Market access resembling Apple's iTunes, complained about "Google's mismanagement of the Android Market," noting that "one should not need a PhD in Computer Science to use a smartphone," and that "Google does far too little curation of the Android Market."

Johansen added that, "unlike Apples App Store, the Android Market has few high quality apps. A study by Larva Labs (the developers of the excellent Slidescreen app) estimates that Apple has paid out 50 times more money to developers than Google has. While the Android Market is available in 46 countries, developers can only offer paid apps in 13 countries." Google has since expanded the number of countries where developers can sell paid apps to 32, out of 44 total (12 only support free distribution). Apple supports App Store sales in 90 countries.

"In addition," Johansen wrote, "the price for foreign apps is not displayed in the users local currency and developers do not have the option of customizing pricing by country. To make matters worse, you cant pay for foreign apps using your Amex card or carrier billing. Theres also no support for in-app payments and changelogs (to communicate app changes)."

Johansen also complained of "spam ringtone apps (which are clearly infringing copyright) [that] are currently cluttering the top ranks of the Multimedia category. I was not surprised to find that they were being monetized through Google Ads," while also pointing at other examples showing that "trademark and copyright infringement is widespread in the Android Market," including apps pretending to be iTunes and paid themes that use Disney characters (or artwork from third party games, as noted above.) "its time for Google to clean up the house," Johansen wrote.

Six months later, none of the fake apps or infringing themes Johansen depicted in his blog posting have been removed from the Android Market catalog by Google.

Theft and advertising

This fall, a report noted that the developer of Radiant, an Android top ten game title, had found 97 percent of players in Asia were using an illegal copy, 70 percent in Europe, and 43 percent in North America. The game was priced at just $2.40, but the majority of Android users found it more attractive to steal the game than support the developer's efforts by buying it legitimately.

Despite figures showing that Android smartphones are selling in volumes that now exceed Apple's iPhone, the fractionalization of the Android platform (which attempts to reach a much wider range of hardware performance, with different versions of the core operating system installed across devices), the primary business model Google promotes for Android apps is not paid apps, but in game advertising, which Google stands to benefits from as the largest mobile advertiser targeting the platform.

Proportionally, more than twice as many apps are distributed for free and supported by ads than any other mobile platform, according to Distimo.

Situation unlikely to change dramatically

"Angry Birds" developer Rovio brought its title to Android as an free ad-based title, noting "that is the Google way," in a tweet. Google's Android Market has also come under assault from top Android developers for sloppy policies regarding app approval, poor security for users' data and allowing developers to collect inappropriate information from users without their consent.

Building an iTunes-like desktop sync application for Android and policing its software catalog would require Google to make significant investments in the platform. However, Google employees have noted that the company sees web apps as the future, rather than a native app platform like that built by Apple, or the new mobile platforms being released, including Microsoft's Windows Phone 7, RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook, and HP's webOS, acquired from Palm.

Well that shows perfectly how Google "cares" about the consumer. All sane people should ignore Google.

Being an android developer myself, I am very hesitant to download apps from android market because of security concerns. Android gives developers a lot of access to system data, yet not enough for the user experiences. It is very geek minded. The market is a joke, it is the worst among the app stores launched in the past couple of years, even blackberry app world beats the pants off it. Given googles ability for innovation, the only explanation is negligence. As for Android Os itself, the main reason it got so popular is ironically because of iPhone.with iPhone os light years ahead of the last generation properiatery mobile Platforms, the phone manufactures finally realized customers would not tolerate their make do platforms any longer. And the only viable alternative is Android for now. I hope windows 7 can make a change, at least their development tools are superior.

A great perspective on how Android buyers are being grossly misled about what a crappy OS Android is. The majority of Android device owners are buying devices that are already obsolete the day they receive them, and are totally misled about the supposed "advantages", features and functions of these devices. The carriers and handset makers certainly command some of the blame for this situation as their laziness and inability to develop their own inventive and innovative platforms is causing them to take this easy road around a truly superior platform presented in the iPhone, iPad and iOS.

The other twits buying these devices are the unethical techtards who think that it makes them special to be able to customize every single device in their lives to their hearts content, and that its ok to steal content from others. The fact that almost HALF of the US users of a major developer's game are stealing it is offensive yet these toads think its perfectly OK, and Google somehow thinks its OK to facilitate these thefts unencumbered. Shameless.

Wakeup people before you buy this unsafe, misleading and unethical Android junkware.

However, Google employees have noted that the company sees web apps as the future, rather than a native app platform like that built by Apple, or the new mobile platforms being released, including Microsoft's Windows Phone 7, RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook, and HP's webOS, acquired from Palm.

thats write i guess..

we will probably see an Chrome Android App in Chrome Web Store instead of a Win/Mac app..
makes more sense..

Many games already weigh in at 125MB (Sega's early SuperMonkey Ball from 2008), 150-300MB (including titles such as Firemint's Real Racing HD and Gameloft's Modern Combat: Sandstorm) or even more than 300MB, such as latest Infinity Blade.

Quote:

None of the large games previously mentioned for the iOS are available for Android (although there are unauthorized "themes" available in Android Market named "Super Monkey Ball" and "Modern Combat."

Erm.. That is wrong:

There are plenty of "large games for iOS" avaiable on Android, even Gameloft's Modern Combat: Sandstorm you mentioned earlier.

"Very disappointing to have people judging something without all the facts." - charlituna.

I remember when people used to say that Android would never outsell the iPhone. Then the bar got moved. Now it's about beating out iOS. Android is now getting close to doing that.

So now the likes of DED have moved on to picking on things like the Android Market. As though things are static and Google won't improve them.

Daniel's ascerbic tone used to bother me. Now I know that the more shrill he is, the better Android is doing.

Didn't you know? A phone platform isn't successful until you have 3D gaming on it and all apps make tons of money and there are no pirates. Because apparently the only thing all smartphones are used for is for apps.

Of course, Dan must have used a friends phone for those pics he posted about the android market. He wouldn't dare own a freetard phone where 90% (figured pulled out of ass like dan) don't even know it runs linux.

As an android user this article makes me laugh. The App store business model sucks for consumers. I got maybe 2 of my 50+ apps from the market place. I download them from the internet, you know, how it works on computers, not toys like iDevices?

Why pay $.99 for an app that took 2 hours to make? Why pay any money for an app that's just a wrapper of a website? See on iOS you'd still have to pay apple, then ask for their permission, before you can install and app you wrote yourself on the iPhone.

iPhone has games, for the same reason windows does. But I'm not a 13 year old that needs to kill time at school. I have a job, things to do, if I'm going to have time to play games, I'm going to do it right with my xbox or PC. Not on my phone. I can use whatever apps I want on my phone, not whats limited to some pricy app store that bans anything Apple deems too competitive.

"The majority of Android device owners are buying devices that are already obsolete the day they receive them,"

What do you consider "obsolete"? A better phone than the iPhone 4 was released 8 months it came out. iPhone users are buying devices that have been obsolete for 8 months.

"I have heard that the Android versions are not nearly as good as the originals on iOS."

Who told you that, apple.com? There just recompiled for Android, there's little difference besides hardware. And most android phones are just as fast as the iPhone, besides HTC phone with their crappy gpu from 2007.

There are tons of advantages for both platforms. Android's just suits more people better. Which is why Android outsells iPhones 2:1. Which is interesting considering that they're about the same price (Droid X:$200, Galaxy S:$200-300, Droid 2:$150, compared to iPhone 4:$200-300, iPhone 3GS:$100) and iPhone has the Apple brand name to back it. People like Dilger are just get mad that no one thinks his phone is the best anymore. Who cares? Buy a phone that works for you, not what you think will impress people. Because the iPhone doesn't anymore, and for me it doesn't meet my expectations either.

As an android user this article makes me laugh. The App store business model sucks for consumers. I got maybe 2 of my 50+ apps from the market place. I download them from the internet, you know, how it works on computers, not toys like iDevices?

You have this profound delusion that your expectations as to how smartphones operate somehow mirrors the average consumer. I am intrigued. Can you explain?

There are plenty of "large games for iOS" avaiable on Android, even Gameloft's Modern Combat: Sandstorm you mentioned earlier.

Then the android version would have very lossy compressed textures. In other words the opposite of eye-candy.

The part that really worries me is that there doesn't seem to be proper quality controls of the apps before publishing on android market. If they can post fake iTunes, wouldn't they basically be able to put any crap there? :S

Then the android version would have very lossy compressed textures. In other words the opposite of eye-candy.

How so? Textures/Sounds and the like are downloaded onto the sd card after the first launch and are not "very lossy compressed". ExZeus has around 57MB worth of game assets and some of the gameloft games are over 300MB in size once installed.

Have you any experience on the platform or with these games to make these assumptions?

"Very disappointing to have people judging something without all the facts." - charlituna.

What credibility do you have left Dan? Why should I believe anything else you say?

Dear "Sprockkets" You do not understand what was reported or "cleared up" pertaining to this issue. There were reports that did overstate the damage caused by this Android app, initially saying that the app was collecting passwords and SMS messages. It turns out it was "only" harvesting information it had no reason to be, including users' phone numbers, VM passwords, and hardware details.

The fact that your PC World link assured everyone that the issue had been over reported does not also mean that the issue wasn't valid, nor that Android software is not capable of collecting inappropriate data. If you actually follow your own link, you'll see that this case was indeed proof that Android apps can and do harvest data they should not be collecting. So no, you are wrong and Dan is correct.

Also, what is the motivation behind your lying personal attacks on this author? You have previosly posted and reposted the idea that Dan "predicted" that Microsoft's Natal/Kenect "would be a still born vaporware" and that it would flop, but as I posted earlier, this is a lie, too.

I don't want to read a bunch of trolls making unsubstantiated, ad hominem attacks on AI authors. If they say something that is incorrect, point it out and back it up with facts. But stop lying and smearing your personal attacks. That's unfair and unprofessional.

What credibility do you have left Dan? Why should I believe anything else you say?

Your really misrepresenting this story here. Either that or your reading comprehension for the articles you yourself linked to is pretty bad.

The point of the situation was that it's fairly easy in the Android world to take this information without the users consent. The developer in question *says* he took the information for a noble or normal purpose even though there are many easier ways that don't require taking the personal information to do so.

His noble purpose? Was simply to track the unique identities of his users by taking their personal information which was of course, unique to each. This is essentially the entire reason that such personal information is supposed to be private. For the developer to defend himself by saying what he did, is essentially the same as a spammer defending himself by saying that his only purpose was to obtain a list of email addresses to send mail to. Duh!

The point is though that the information was sill taken, and it's still possible for it to be taken. There is nothing in the Android market that stops an app developer doing this kind of thing and we only have the word of the few people that have been caught doing it that their intent was not nefarious.

This wasn't "cleaned up" at all. For the non-tchnical user, the Android market is a security minefield. There is simply no way for the average user to tell the cops from the robbers.

My personal experience with Android is pretty bad: Motorola Milestone running Android 2.1. The touch screen has poor response and many tasks feel slow. It's like using a first generation iPhone with a flaky touch screen.

I think Canadian carriers are a big part of the problem here. Back in September I was shopping for a phone and there were still phones available running Android 1.5 but not a single one running 2.2 Even ads touting the "latest Android OS" listed 2.1 in the fine print.

The reason for this, according to the article here and its sources (from the mouth of Google) is that Android Market only supports games up to 25MB, with a new 50MB limit coming. Sandstorm is (on the iOS) is nearly 300MB. How could it possibly be in Android Market?

This is just a long argument for stealing, and not an original one at that. You are apparently justified in stealing because the apps that you steal are not up to your 'standards of quality,' or because you don't have 'time to waste?' Wow. Just, wow.

Yet somehow you have a legal job of some kind it seems and are actually a grown up?

If you don't think there isn't anything wrong with your behaviour, maybe you'd like to man up and publish your name and address here as well. Maybe tell us who you work for so we can phone up your boss and tell her what an upstanding little thief you are?

What I don't get is why anyone would bother to brag about being a thief to a bunch of strangers on the Internet, yet be enough of a coward to hide it.

How so? Textures/Sounds and the like are downloaded onto the sd card after the first launch and are not "very lossy compressed". ExZeus has around 57MB worth of game assets and some of the gameloft games are over 300MB in size once installed.

Have you any experience on the platform or with these games to make these assumptions?